Lawyer ‘traumatised’ after court shooting

Pretoria - An attorney who witnessed the shooting of a policeman and an orderly at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday said she was traumatised by the ordeal.

“I never expected a shooting to happen in court,” Mpho Nefuri of Nefuri Attorneys said outside the court.

“The court was in session at the time and the magistrate managed to escape. I saw a policeman being shot, blood was oozing from his head. A court orderly was also injured while trying to cool down the situation. I think he was grazed by a bullet.”

She said she saw one man, who was standing trial, shooting.

“The suspect had a gun and fired two shots. Everything went upside down and we all started running for our lives.”

Nefuri said security at the court needed to improve.

“I’m very traumatised because there is no safety here. I can't say it's safe to work here. How does a gun end up in the courtroom?

“They (the State) need to pull their socks up regarding our security. We are dealing here with offenders and people who need rehabilitation. It is important that we get good security,” said Nefuri.

Gauteng police said they were still looking for the two men involved in the shooting. The pair, who were due to appear in court, came out of the holding cells into the courtroom and started shooting earlier on Tuesday.

The court orderly was slightly wounded and the police officer who came to testify was seriously wounded, Lt-Col Khensani Magoai said.

Earlier, ER24 paramedics said the police officer was shot in the head.

The two men, who were appearing on charges of house robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms, escaped and hijacked a Ford Ikon outside the court.

“They abandoned the vehicle in Atteridgeville and hijacked a red Polo,” Magoai said.

The police statement sought to clarify initial uncertainty about what happened.

The National Prosecuting Authority could not be reached for comment.

Scores of police crime scene experts were moving in and out of the court on Tuesday afternoon. - Sapa